Wall seat



March 31, 1953 H. G. SMITH WALL SEAT Filed Sept. 6, 1951 Harvey a 5mmINVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 31, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE2,633,179 WALL SEAT Harvey G. Smith, Dallas, Tex.

I Application September 6, 1951, Serial No. 245,213

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in wall seats. 7

*One object ofthe invention is to provide an improved folding seat inthe form of a cabinet adapted to be installed in or on a wall andespecially designed for use as a telephone seat.

' A particular object of the invention is to provide an improved seatwhich, while readily fold- .able, utilizes only three main elements, oneof which serves as a door as well as a support or leg..

, "A further object of the invention is to provide an improved foldingwall seat of the character described, wherein the leg, which supportsthe .seat member and forms the door or closure for the cabinet, isarranged when folded into its closed position to frictionally engage thebottom of "the cabinet and hold itself in its closed position.

'Another object of the invention is to provide an improved folding wallseat which'by a unique mounting becomes self-fastening when folded intoa closed position and is not easily unintentionally displaced from itsclosed position.

An important object of the invention is to provide an improved folding.wall seat wherein, when folded, the entire weight of the seat and legmembers is sustained by the leg member so as to hold the bottom of saidleg member in firm engagement with the bottom of the cabinet and preventunintentional unfolding of the seat. 3 11A stili:further object of theinvention is to provide an improved folding wall seat which is free ofsprings, fastenings andother hardware.

A construction designed to carry out the invention will be hereinafterdescribed together with other features of the invention.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of thefollowing specification and by reference to the accompanying drawing,wherein an example of the inventionis shown, and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a wall seat constructed in accordancewith the invention and shown in its closed position,

Fig. 2 is a side view, partly in elevation and partly in section, of theseat in its unfolded or useable position and mounted in a wall,

Fig. 3 is a vertical, sectional view of the folded seat,

Fig. 4 is an enlarged, sectional detailed view, showing the mounting ofthe seat member and frictional engagement of the leg member, and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a seat in its unfolded or useableposition and having a modified cabinet.

1 5( Jlaims. (01. 155-83) 'In the drawingthe numeral I0 designates acomparatively shallow cabinet comprising avertical back wall II, sidewalls I2, a top wall I3 and a bottom wall I4. The front-or outeredges-ofa rectangular face frame I5 so as to'overlie a wall I6 in which thecabinet is mountedzin installing the cabinet,'an opening I! is providedin the wall I6 and said cabinet is secured therein with theframedisposed'against the outer surfaceofsaidwall. m

A flat leg or support member I8, in the form of a single sheet or board,is hinged to a flat seat member I9. The leg member is of'such size andshape, being rectangular, as to closely fit in the opening in the. frontof the cabinet ID with its outer face lying substantially flush with theouter surface of the frame I5. When in its closed position, thelegmember serves as a door with-its bottom edge resting firmly, on thebottom I I of the cabinet. In actual practice, good results have beenhad by providing merely moving clearances along each verticalside of theleg member" and a slightly greater spacing between the top of thecabinet and the upper edge of said member. Thus, the leg member is ofslightly less ,the seatis unfclded'putwardly for use, the'outer edge ofsaid seat member will be substantially flush with the outer face of theleg member I8. A transverse hinge 2|, similar to a piano hinge, connectsthe inner side of the leg member with the underside of the bar 20.

A unique feature resides in the pivotal or hinge mounting of the innerend of the seat member I9 in the cabinet. A transverse dowel or rod 22is secured across the outer or under side of the lower or inner end ofthe seat member by screws 23, and is longer than the width of saidmember so as to extend into openings or sockets 24 in the adjacent facesof the side walls I2. The sockets 24 are slightly vertically elongatedso as to permit limited vertical movement of the ends of the dowel 22.

A handle 25 may be provided on the face of the leg member I8 tofacilitate lifting of said member for unfolding the seat. A stop 26 maybe mounted on the back wall II for holding the folded leg member in avertical position with its outer surface flush with the frame I 5.

When the seat is folded up into the cabinet, the elongated socketspermit sufficient downward movement of the seat member l9 to allow thelower edge of the leg [8, which is slightly longer than the seat member,to rest firmly on the bottom M of the cabinet. It is particularlypointed out that the lower edge of the folded seat member is spacedabove the bottom of the cabinet and the? dowel His, spaced above. thebottomwof the sockets 324'. Thus, the entireweight of the seat and legmembers is carried by the leg member which is thereby more firmly heldin contact. with the bottom of the cabinet and which transmits saidweight to said cabinet bottom. Intthisic way the leg member not onlybecomes a door,

but the frictional engagement of itsloweredge is sufficient to hold saidmemberxin-the-cabinet and it must be intentionally moved outwardly-todisplace it.

In some instances, it=may not be suitable or p ssible to install,ithezecabinetx in;:a:wa1l;1and in Fig. "a modified cabinet 26.istShOWmfQr-fasteninggflat against a wall; The cabinet 26 includes at:rectangular A frame 21, having" beveled ;o.uter edges- 28 andan: openback, whichis of: suffi'c'ient depth. to house the folded seat. The:structure of*-'the seat is. the same. as that heretofore describedi The:foregoing. descriptionlofithe. invention is. explanatory thereof andvarious' changes in? the shapet'and materials; as: well. as in' the :de-

tails. of the illustrated constructionmaybe made, within the. scope, ofl the appended c1aims,::without "departing- -from the. spirit'of theinvention.

What I claim and desire to securersbyLetters Patent is:

1. A'wallseat including, :a cabinet adapted to beattaehed to awallandhaving side and bottom walls and an open front, a:foldingseat.-including a support-member adapted, to: rest upon a floor whenmoved outwardly'and 'a-seat member hingedto the top ofthe support memberand having-it's inner end in: the-cabinet, said cabinethavinggvertically elongatediopenings: in, its side walls; and anelement: securedto the seatmember -having-itsends' confined in-the sidewall openings, whereby the bottom edge of the -support membermay-frictionally engage the bottom wall of the cabinet when the seat isfolded into said cabinet and restrain: the seat against out- 2:? mwall;seat including, axcabinet': adapted to begattached. :tota. wall? and.'havinaran. open from;

and a folding seat adapted to be folded into the cabinet through theopen front thereof and including a seat member hinged to a leg member,the leg member closing the open front of the cabinet and resting on thebottom thereof when the seat is folded, the seat member being looselyhinged in the cabinet to permit the leg member to rest on the bottom ofthe cabinet.

3.. A. wall seat.- includinghalcabinet. adapted to .be attached toanwall and having van open front,

and a folding seat adapted to be folded into the cabinet through theopen front thereof and including a seat member hinged to a leg member,the leg member closing the open front of the cabinet and forming a doortherefor, the inner end of-theseat member being spaced from thebcttom.;of;the-cabinet and having pivots movable. vertically in thesides of the cabinet, whereby the leg member suppcrts'the weight of theseat member when folded into the cabinet and whereby said seat; membermay move-upwardly and downwardly in the-=cabinet ,to..;permitrthebottomedge: of :theieg :memberto restiuponthe bottom of the. cabinet.

4. A. wall seat including,;a.cabinet adapted-t0 be attachedv to a walland havingan' open'front, and a folding seat adapted to. be foldedinto'the cabinet through the-open'front thereof .andineluding aseatmember hingedto a leg-member, the" leg 'memberr: closing the; :open;.front of the cabinet and forming a door therefor whenthe seat is:folded into? ithe;.-cabinet,t thealo'wer end of the seat memberbeingspaced: from the bottom ofthe cabinet and: having loosepivots. in theside walls of the cabinet, whereby the weight of the seat member iscarried. by thev leg-"member and the leg. member res-ts upon andtransmits said weight to the bottom of-thecabinet-when closed.

5. A wallgseat as set forth in claim 1, wherein thecabinet includesanyopen frameadapted to be-fastenedvto the outer' surface of: thewalhHARVEY'GFSIVIII'HJ REFERENCES I. CITED;

The following references 'are of record-in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,195,964 Bradley- Aug; 29, 19161,480,113' Powell. Jan. 8, 1924 l,7 65,l6 8;.- Laursen- June1.'l;1'9.30' 2,524,302.

Turnerr. .Ndv. 6,, 1951

